title: Effects of alprazolam on capture stress-related serum cortisol responses in Korean raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis).
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of alprazolam on the stress that Korean raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis) may experience while caught in a live trap by measuring their serum cortisol response. The animals were placed in a live trap with or without being pretreated with oral doses of alprazolam. In both groups, pre-trap blood samples were initially collected without anesthesia before the animals were positioned in the live trap; then post-trap blood samples were collected after the animals had remained in the live trap for 2 h. Changes in cortisol levels were observed using a chemiluminescent immunoassay. The level of cortisol increased in the control group and decreased in the alprazolam-pretreatment group (p < 0.05). In this study, we demonstrated that alprazolam pretreatment reduced stress during live trap capture.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So-Yeong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Junpei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Nam-Shik
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000525:Alprazolam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D046031:Raccoon Dogs; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D000525:Alprazolam